Cal Raleigh Sets New Mariners Home Run Record
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh has made history by breaking the franchise’s single-season home run record, previously held by Ken Griffey Jr.
Raleigh hit his 57th home run on Saturday night, surpassing the mark of 56 set by Griffey Jr. in the 1997 and 1998 seasons. Griffey Jr., a baseball legend, was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1996.
Raleigh’s feat is even more remarkable considering the difficulty that hitters have historically had in hitting home runs at the Mariners’ stadium.
In addition to breaking Griffey Jr.’s record, Raleigh has also set new marks as the home run leader for catchers and switch-hitters in a single season.
If Raleigh manages to hit 60 home runs, he would become the seventh player in MLB history to achieve this impressive feat.
The historic home run occurred in the top of the third inning against the Astros’ left-handed pitcher, Framber Valdez. Despite being behind in the count, Raleigh connected with a Valdez pitch and sent the ball directly to center-right field, easily surpassing the Astros’ bullpen.
Part of Raleigh’s success this season has been his ability to hit home runs on pitches on the outside part of the strike zone, this being his eighteenth of the season in this zone.
After hitting the home run, Raleigh calmly ran the bases and celebrated with his teammates, receiving the team’s trident in recognition of his achievement.
Now, with seven games remaining on the Mariners’ schedule, Raleigh is in pursuit of 60 home runs, and could even aim to break Aaron Judge’s record, while competing for the American League Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
